


Cin Vhetin

by SilverTonguedSlytherin1



Series: The Force Provides to the Faithful [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Death Watch (Star Wars), Fix-It, Gen, Haat Mando'ade, Jango Fett is Mand'alor, Kyr'staad, Mandalore, Mandalorian, Mandalorian Culture, Mandalorian Jedi, Mandalorian Wars, Mando'a, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Tags May Change, Time Travel, Time Travel Fix-It, True Mandalorians
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-14
Updated: 2020-02-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 14:14:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 14,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22258537
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverTonguedSlytherin1/pseuds/SilverTonguedSlytherin1
Summary: The Battle of Keldabe is over. Jango Fett is Mand'alor, and Obi-Wan Kenobi has been delivered to the doorstep of the Naasade-Skywalker household. The future is always in motion. They can only hope it is better than the one they have left behind.
Series: The Force Provides to the Faithful [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1597120
Comments: 242
Kudos: 732
Collections: Favorite Rereads





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Desert Storm](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18206480) by [Blue_Sunshine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Sunshine/pseuds/Blue_Sunshine). 



Raising oneself is odd, Ben finds, so he takes to ignoring that fact as much as possible. Obi-Wan is an infant; he is untouched by Ben's own misfortunes. Ben will do his best to raise him as his own person. It is just, well, Ben does not know how Obi-Wan ended up on his doorstep and trying to figure out how and why it happened makes Ben look into his past more closely.

  
Ben had been left in a medical station by his parents. There was no note because they spoke with the doctors themselves. Either Mandalore was closer to Stewjon (which it is not), the word had gotten out that the Healer's Home between Keldabe and Sundari is ran by Jedi (which is possible), or the Force had lead them there (which is not exclusive to option two). The point remains: Obi-Wan Kenobi had been, in the original timeline, brought to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. There, he had been raised in Bear Clan, in which he made some of his closest friends: Bant, Garen, and Reeft. 

  
It was also where he was bullied, where he was cast out and sent to the AgriCorps because nobody really looked into his "fight" with Bruck Chun. It was where he struggled academically, and where his teachers were quite vocal about it, until Master Qui-Gon took over most of his lessons. It was where he had only found acceptance the more of himself he carved out and shed.

  
Such would not be Obi-Wan's fate in this timeline, not if Ben had to Fall to ensure it.

~*~

Shmi likes the tan tunics. They do not show wear as badly as the cream did, and a not-so-little part of her enjoys the visible show of her progress. She is advancing well, she is told, right on pace.

  
They have switched from simple letters and words to phonics. She does not like them. They have, however, kept with reading her reading on her own, out of a children's reader, which she enjoys, especially when she reads to _Obi'ka_.

  
She likes doing her lessons with the little one near her. She wants him to grow up learning and knowing it is okay to learn. He is allowed to read and type and even write if he wishes. 

  
Obi-Wan is Amaleia, he who was born free and shall remain free, and Shmi will put a tracker in her own arm to ensure the latter remains true.

~*~

Jango is unsure of a lot of things, but Obi-Wan is not one of them. The baby is adorable and sweet. He has big eyes and bigger dimples. 

  
Honestly, if he were not already claimed by those he knows are good people, he would take _Obi'ka_ for his own.  
He still might.

  
Even if he does not raise _Obi'ka_ , he is still claiming him as Clan, which means nobody can stop him from stock-piling _beskar_ form when the little one is ready to forge his own _beskar'gam._ They can not stop him from buying things like the little green Mythosaur with which the baby loves to play and snuggle. They certainly can not stop Jango from hunting down every last member of _Kyr'staad_ and killing them. 

~*~

Arla smiles happily at the giggling boy in her arms. He has finally, finally stopped crying. She loves him. She does. Goodness, though, the child has lungs. He likes to remind them of this fact at night. 

  
She can not be upset with him, though. For all he glows in the Force, a bright light amidst duller greys, he has been hurt. Not physically, or else Ben would be making a promise to cut her down when her eyes turned yellow, but he has not been loved. Arla does not know how to explain it, except that, despite being well-fed and without rashes or any other signs, Obi-Wan has been neglected. 

  
He feels not quite like the Cadets on Kamino, but he feels not quite unlike them. He feels unused to being wanted.

  
Arla coos at him while heating up a bottle of formula. Obi-Wan can wake her at any time he feels the need or desire. She wants him.

~*~

 _Atin_ is a good wolf. He may have found his family by accident, but they are his. He protects them. 

  
Having a cub is nice. When the _aruetiise_ left him, _Atin_ watched the little one until his Mandos returned home.

  
Now, he sleeps on the floor in _Obi'ka's_ room. This way, he can let the others know when the baby needs something. Humans are not as loud as _kyr'oya'kar_ , after all, and they may not hear him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all. This fic is a sequel to my story "Rebirth." I hope you like it. Tell me what you think - good, bad, or ugly, in the comments.
> 
> Also, my Mando'a is in the very early stages, so corrections are welcome and appreciated.
> 
> Mando'a Translations  
> Cin Vhetin - literally white field; it means clean slate/fresh start. It is typically used when someone is truly Mando, thus leaving their old lives behind them. Mandos are only judged by what comes after this point.   
> Obi'ka - little Obi  
> Beskar - Mando iron  
> Beskar'gam - traditional Mando armour; literally iron skin  
> Kyr'staad - Death Watch  
> Atin - stubborn, tenacious, and capable of endurance; this name belongs to their kyr'oya'kar  
> Aruetiise - traitors, foreigners, outsiders; in this case, the latter two apply best.  
> Kyr'oya'kar - Mando wolf. They are capable of understanding Mando'a, and the bond fully with Clans, of which they are very protective. As such, they are highly regarded and very expensive, unless one just claims you, as happened in the story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything in italics is Mando'a whether it is written in Mando'a or English.

Ben places his right fist over his heart while bowing from the waist. Jango, he can tell in the Force, is still uncomfortable at such displays of fealty, but nothing in his body language betrays him on his _beskar_ throne. The _Mand'alor_ dismisses the guards, and, after they leave, Jango removes his _buy'ce_ and gestures for Ben to do so as well. Then Jango hesitates, unsure of how to begin, not yet the leader he will be.

  
Ben takes pity on the boy-king, " _Since you did not come to the farm, I am guessing this meeting is neither a social call nor a medical one, ner Mand'alor."_

  
" _Nayc, nu'bic_ ," he takes a moment to gather himself, and Ben takes a moment to look at him. He is pale in that awkward way of one whose skin is often covered. It does not suit him. Ben is making a note in his mind to ask Arla and Shmi about sending vitamins to the _Haat Mando'ade_ when Jango begins speaking again. " _The Jedi have not often been allies of the Mando'ade, much less brothers. In fact, our warriors have often slain each other in battle."_

  
" _Elek, ner Mand'alor_."

  
_"But you, **we**_ _, are changing this fact, yes? We are giving our people a different future, one where Jedi and Mandos are not required to be enemies, one where we can be vode, or even both. Elek?"_

  
" _Elek_..."

  
_"To do so, you need more than four Mando Jetii, though."_

  
" _Elek, ner Mand'alor_..."

  
_"We have Force Sensitives here, on Mandalore, and you can teach them."_

  
_"I doubt that many families will let their children be raised as Jedi."_

  
_"Being a Jedi is better than being dead."_

  
Oh. Oh. Of course. Ben had forgotten that fact, forgotten how many Mandalorian children died from accidents with the Force or from being caught in Visions.

  
Jango continues, _"Especially if you can raise Mando Jetiise."_

  
Oh, the Order would not approve of this arrangement. Any non-Temple learning was supposed to go through the EduCorps, was supposed to be enough to keep the Force-user from accidentally being injured or killed. It was never supposed to get near the level of training a Padawan would receive. To put it in Orthodoxy terms, non-Temple Force Sensitives were supposed to be trained to no more than the final Initiate level: cream tunic and brown belt. 

  
There is no way most Mandos would wish to stop at that point, however, not once they learned what they could do with the Force, once they learned how it could help their Clans.  
Well, this arrangement should be interesting. 

  
_"I understand, ner Mand'alor, I need to speak with Arla and Shmi before I can determine anything definite. We will need to find a place to hold classes and develop a schedule, which we can only create once we know about the students' skills. And - "_

  
_"So you agree then, ori'vod?"_

  
_"Of course! I - we just need a bit of time to make arrangements. Why are you laughing?"_

  
_"Most of my advisors were certain you would need convincing. I have statistics on mortality rates and the potential benefits for better relations between the Jedi and the Mandalorians. I have tax incentives and offers of government salaries for you, Arla, and Shmi._

  
_"Then you just accept without needing to hear any of it, even when it is assuredly going to cause trouble with your Masters in your Order. I just, you are mandokarla, is all."_  
Ben smiles a little too now. It is good to be able to pleasantly surprise someone, to, for once, be able to be more than they expect.

  
Jango asks, " _When would you, Arla, and Shmi be available to talk with my Education Advisor and me about the lessons? Kanvined will be more comfortable proposing the idea to others if they have an idea of what you plan to teach."_

  
_"If we can bring Obi'ka, I can leave and return with them."_

  
_"Do so, but pack clothes and Atin. It is already late, so you will have to spend the night."_

  
" _Elek, ner Mand'alor_ ," Ben agrees with another bow, wondering if Jango intends to steal Shmi or Obi-Wan or both.

  
It never occurs to him that Jango does not mean to either because he has already claimed them all. 

~*~ 

Discussing the curriculum is perhaps not as straight forward as Jango and Kanvined had hoped. 

  
_"Let me get this straight: the younger the students are, the better because they will not have to unlearn any bad habits,"_ the Education Advisor says.

  
 _"Elek_."

  
" _But your daughter_ _is moving quicker than you would expect from a child."_

  
 _"It is complicated,"_ Arla says. _"Shmi is an adult, yes, but she is not old enough to have decades of bad practices. Plus, her time as a slave helped her unconsciously master certain skills. She is progressing as well as expected for her age."_

  
Jango speaks before Kanvined can, _"What you mean is that it is easy to teach a youngling because you will simply start at the beginning in everything, but with adults, they may have some habits which are helpful which will speed their learning and others which will impede it, but their ability to reason better will likely help them advance more quickly than children, especially at the start of the process."_

  
_"Elek, ner Mand'alor. The ability to reason is why students such as Shmi advance at about thrice the rate expected of younglings."_

  
_"Then why does the Order insist of taking children as young as possible?"_ Kanvined asks, wary as always of the Jedi and their practices.

  
Ben replies, " _There are several reasons, Alor Kanvined. The first and most important is the same reason you are asking us to teach these classes now: untrained children can be lost to the Force. Even though an adult may learn quicker, a child likely needs the lessons more as they are more vulnerable."_

  
Jango and Kanvined nod, then Kanvined asks, " _And the other reasons?"_

  
_"During the Sith wars, they frequently sought out infants and children to train. The Jedi felt that in order to save them, they must take them that young as well._

  
_"The third and more controversial reason is that the Order made many changes during the Ruusaan Reformation. Amongst them was a new rule that banned Jedi from having relationships outside of the Order. Before, Jedi had been allowed to have families - marriages and children both._

  
_"After the Reformation, it was felt that relationships outside of the Order would interfere with a Jedi's ability to serve it and the Republic. As such, Jedi were banned from marrying. Any children they had would be placed in the crèche or homes would be found for them if they were not Force Sensitive. They were banned from taking their own children as Padawans._

  
_"It was also decided that children must be brought to Order before the age of seven standard years, if human, or their species equivalent, to prevent them from forming such attachments to their birth-families."_

  
_"Wait, what will they do if they find out Shmi is your student?"_ Jango asks. 

  
_"They can do nothing,"_ Arla says. _"She is my Padawan, and they have no right to revoke such, especially not when the Jedi in question are not part of their Temple."_

  
_"This reason is why you wish to start your own Temple, then?"_

  
" _Elek, ner Mand'alor_. Although there are others.

  
_"If we start this Temple, it will be the only truly Orthodox Temple in the Galaxy. As such, our practices will be different to those of any Jedi elsewhere._

  
_"We can 'get away' with teaching Shmi and Obi-Wan differently because of the unique circumstances, but, to teach others, we need to establish ourselves as a Jedi Temple, or else we will have trouble."_

  
_"What sort of trouble?"_

  
_"It is not illegal to be a trained Force-user and not be a Jedi. Haran, it is not even illegal to simply be Darksider or Sith. It is simply that most of their practices are illegal._

  
_"The Order... does not always respect this fact. They see any Force-practice which is not done by Jedi as wrong. They take the kad'au of non-Jedi, even those they place in their ServiceCorps."_

  
Jango's eyes speak murder. To disarm your own people is unconscionable to _Mandos,_ and they would never respect any leader who tried to do so. That these people are children when they are disarmed, sent away from the only home they know and put to work in some unforgiving region without protection is unforgiveable cruelty, and that is before one remembers what Jango has learned these past few months about the crystals in _kad'au'ise_ being sentient and that as such Jedi form bonds with their blades. 

  
_"If we have our own Temple here, however, Coruscant will have no say in how we operate. We will be their brothers and sisters, just as the Jedi from Corellia, Altair, and Jedha Temples are, but just as they, we will be independent of them."_

  
_"They will not be able to say anything about your students or practices if you have your own Temple?"_ Kanvined asks.

  
 _"Oh, they will say a lot,"_ Ben says, _"but they will not have the authority to do anything, especially as we will not be reliant upon Republic funds and will thus not need Senate approval for our actions."_

  
 _"I see,"_ Jango says. _"And what courses will you teach at this Temple? How are the students going to enroll, and what must they take?"_

  
Shmi bites her cheek to keep from grinning. True, she is ignorant of many things, but she almost certain it is supposed to be a bit more complicated to do something like build a Jedi Temple. She is pretty sure you are supposed to do something other than just decide to do it in a single meeting. She is also pretty sure those meetings do not typically involve Kings. Then again, she is pretty sure that absolutely nothing which has happened since their meeting on Tatooine has been typical.

  
 _"It is likely we will teach most subjects, as Shmi still needs to finish her education, and Obi-Wan will be beginning his in a few years,"_ Ben answers. " _What classes are required for students will depend largely upon their goals. We can likely do a single class for Force techniques and philosophy for those who simply wish to 'be safe,' if there are enough, but for those who truly wish to be Jedi, we will need to offer more in-depth classes, including Force-assisted combat and healing. And of course many of the later required courses will be determined by the specialization of the Jedi - "_

  
_"Wait, what? What sort of specializations are you do you mean?"_

  
_"Jedi have two main specializations: Guardians, who often act as bodyguards and diplomatic escorts, and Consulars, who act as diplomats and the like. Those who specialize in both are called Sentinels, and they are likely the rarest. There are also Archivists, who act as Order historians, but they are seen by most as a subset of Consulars, just as Shadows are a subset of Guardians._

  
_"Healers are typically not actual Jedi Knights, unless they choose seek training as Guardians or Consulars as well. As such, most do not carry kad'au. Healer-Knights are often sent into more high-risk situations, such as war zones or the Outer Rim._

  
_"Each of these specializations require different skills, and, as such, different lessons."_

  
Jango and Kanvined mull over this information for a moment. 

  
_"Your Guardians are your warriors, yes?"_

  
_"Elek."_

  
_"And the three of you are Guardians?"_

  
Arla answers, _"I am a Guardian-Healer, and I am training Shmi as one. Ben is a Sentinel."_

  
 _"All Mando Jetiise will be trained as Guardians. I do not care what other specializations they choose, if they choose any, but they must be able to defend themselves. Ibic cuyi haar Resol'nare,"_ Jango speaks with finality.

  
 _"Elek, ner Mand'alor_."

  
Well, Arla thinks, the future will certainly be different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ibic cuyi haar Resol'nare - This is the Six Actions; I am using it as the Mando'a version of "This is the Way" until Disney gives me something more official.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italicized English is Mando'a. I plan to go and edit the last chapter to reflect this method as well. It keeps eating longer notes, so translations will have to wait. I'm sorry! But, quick question, would y'all like to see more or less Mando'a?

Arla and Ben sit in the shared _kar'yai_ of their bedrooms, drinking _shig_ and discussing the plans for the new Temple. _"We are going to have to translate every single text into Mando'a from Basic, do you realize this, Buir?"_

  
_"Elek, Arl'ika, but look at it this way: by translating the texts, we get to study them further, and Jedi should always be seeking new knowledge, should they not?"_

  
_"I have a Padawan. I am studying enough. You on the other hand - "_

  
_"Am not getting stuck with all of the work for this task, little one. Forget it."_

  
She resists the urge to throw a biscuit at him but only at the last second. _Uj'ayl_ -glazed _shuner_ is heaven, and she will not squander it on petty squabbles. She does send him a glare, however, before she continues, _"Most Mandos are at least bilingual, speaking both Mando'a and Basic. For some of the newer Mandos, it might actually be more comfortable to learn in Basic, at least at the start. We can work on translating everything over time, but right now, we have more urgent priorities to address, such as where will we be housing this Temple?"_

  
_"We are being offered a number of options by our Mand'alor."_

  
_"Are any of them viable?"_

  
_"There are a few options, at least temporarily. MandalMotors has an old warehouse which should be plenty big enough for our needs, but it likely has little real connection with the Force, especially as it has primarily been used for storage and ran by droids."_

  
Arla snarls her delicate nose a bit. It could work, and they could make it work, but it would take a long time for something so metallic and lifeless to feel like anything approaching a Temple. It would hamper the learning of the students.

  
_"We have an old Med Center."_

  
_"Nayc! There would be far too much death and pain still there. It would be too easy to harness it by accident."_

  
_"I understand. The last real option is that we turn the farm from privately owned to the Temple grounds, but it would require building a much larger structure and would take time. Oh."_

  
_"You have an idea?"_

  
_"What if we used the warehouse temporarily, just until the new Temple could be built on the farm?"_

  
_"You do not think it would be 'empty' of the Force for too long?" There was a reason Jedi did not typically like new things. They were empty of the Force's touch, and it took a long time to 'warm the up' with it._

  
_"If we plan appropriately, nayc. We can help make windows imbued with the Force, as well as imbue most of the metal with it. We can decorate it much like here at the Palace, with tapestries and drapes and beads. We can bring in plants and the like._

  
_"It will take time to do, Arla, but I think we can do it right. I think we can make an honest Temple."_

  
Ben is truly excited for the first time in ages. It feels the Force around him. It is infectious. Arla grins. Maybe this project could be fun.

  
_"We can run the idea past Jang'alor later, but I imagine he will be fine with it."_

  
_"Good, good. You should probably get some sleep, little one."_

  
_"You too, Buir. Jate ca."_

  
_"Jate ca, Arl'ika."_

  
Ben, of course, does not sleep. He stays awake, planning and thinking and replanning. He can not help himself. There is so much to do, and while some things, such as where they will live and train, are more urgent, there are other issues as well. Amongst them are how one is raised to Knighthood or Mastery.

  
On Coruscant and Corellia, one is taken as a Padawan Learner by a Knight or Master and when the Knight or Master feels the Padawan is ready, they take the Trials and, if they pass, are awarded Knighthood. To become a Master, a Knight must raise a Padawan to Knighthood, provide significant service in their chosen specialization (such as discovering a long-abandoned Temple for an Archivist), or, the rarest option, be given a seat on the Jedi High Council.

  
On Altair and Jedha, however, things more closely resembled the Orthodox methods. Students were raised to Knighthood and Mastery simply by the accumulation of the necessary skills, by their feeling within the Force. They still must be taught by a Master, however.

  
Which brings Ben to the Orthodoxy, to Mandalore. 

  
The Orthodox Jedi did not rely solely upon Masters and Padawans. In fact, during the Sith Wars, there was a period of nearly three thousand years where apprenticeships were banned because of their use by the Sith. There was another ten thousand years scattered throughout history, with the largest being a chunk of just over five thousand years, where most Knights were raised through the belt-and-beads systems simply because they needed the Jedi in the field and did not have time to teach a single student.

  
Once a Learner was in brown tunics, they were considered ready for the field. There, they worked with Knights and Masters, and they gained skills and experiences. When they earned their brown belt, they were Knights. They attained Master for all sorts of reasons, including killing a Sith in combat, but largely based simply on their feeling in the Force, their skill at its use. 

  
The thing is, Ben and Arla would completely be willing to accept Jedi as Knights based wholly on the belts-and-beads method. It would be hypocritical of Arla to not do so, after all, but Ben has truly come to appreciate the process. It is less subjective than the current process used by Coruscant and Corellia, where one's fitness as a Knight and as a Jedi is determined almost wholly by their Master. 

  
Ben still does not know if he was ready for the Trials when he was Knighted, but he knows Qui-Gon's change of mind regarding his readiness for the Trials was based solely upon his discovery of Anakin. Ben's friends, however, had long been Knighted, and he wonders if he had not been ready before his Knighting, if Qui-Gon's fear of Xanatos still did not hang over them, or if, perhaps, Qui-Gon simply did not want to raise such an obedient Jedi, if he wanted Ben to become a maverick as well. It does not matter, of course. It is in the past.

  
However, there is one small issue. The belts-and-beads method provides a structured process with its standards and requirements neatly laid out and predetermined. It does not, however, provide any true Trial. Before the Reformation, during the Sith Wars, battle provided a more than adequate test, and Arla faced battle with the Sith herself. No one could argue she was tested, just as readily as their predecessors. 

  
Things were different on Mandalore, though. Oh, Shmi has seen enough hardship and suffering that to place her in the Trials is a joke, if not an insult. She will earn her Knighthood and her Mastery, and they will all be better off if it happens before someone like Adi Mundi can suggest Shmi Skywalker has not been properly tested.   
The others, however? 

  
Many have fought _Kyr'staad_ , and Ben is willing to recognize those hardships. Running for your life as a child after watching your family be slaughtered is plenty enough of a Trial in his humble opinion. It is just, well, what of the younglings? They are fighting with the hopes that the younglings grow up in a system not at war with itself. 

  
They need to be tested somehow, and Ben would like to test them before they were sent to battle against the Sith. 

  
This problem is not going to be an easy one to solve. He can almost hear Cody whisper, "And it is not going to solve itself tonight, General, so, politely, get your _shebs_ to bed."

  
"Yes, Commander," he whispers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had hoped this chapter would involve more planning/decisions, but I liked the ending, so no dice. Hopefully, the next chapter will see more actual Templing.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All of the dialogue is in Basic for this chapter, unless it is written in Mando'a (which is not much). Please, tell me what y'all think of it.

Jango Fett prides himself on being pretty smart, but he also prides himself on admitting when he does not understand things. Right now, there are a lot of things he does not understand.

  
To be clear, he did not mean to listen in to Ben and Arla's conversation. Jedi are an enigma, though, and if Mandalore is going to house a Temple of them, he needs to know about them. He needs to know what even _kaysh jetiise_ might not tell him. 

  
Okay, so maybe he listened in to the conversation, but it was for the good of his people, and he did not learn anything anyway. In fact, he is more confused now than before he heard it. 

  
"You were really prepared to leave the Order _, Buir_?" Arla asked Ben.

  
"I already had left once before, as a Padawan, on Melida/Daan. I was willing to do so for Satine, if she had only asked. It was different this time, though.

  
"Had the war actually ended, I still doubt the Republic would have granted our men citizenship. I doubt they would have been released from their duties in the GAR, and that is, of course, assuming the Senate did not push for them to be decommissioned. 

  
"Our troopers, our men, they loved us, _Arl'ika_. They all but worshipped us. To abandon them would have been the harshest cruelty we could have given them. That is what the Senate would have asked for as well. It is what they demanded happen with the Jedi and the Army of Light after the Sith Wars. Whole battalions were banned from ever seeing the Jedi they fought beside again, Jedi barred from ever even setting foot on the home planets of their soldiers again. 

  
"I could not do let that happen to them. I could not seem them through the war only for someone like Tarkin to have them killed playing war games."

  
"So, let me get this straight, you, the Sith-Killer, the Perfect Jedi, Master of the Chosen One, and Member of the Jedi High Council, were willing to leave the Jedi Order to be a General in the GAR. The press would have had a field day. They loved you, of course, so the blame would have been placed with the Order."

  
"Did you ever think of leaving the Order, _ner ad'ika_?"

  
"No. I was a Jedi. There were Sith. It was my duty to fight them."

  
"And what did you have planned for after the war?"

  
"Nothing. I mean, I expected the Council would start sending us out again, especially to rebuild and that sort of thing. I figured we would stay with our battalions, that we would work with them forever. 

  
"I kind of, I thought that after the war, that we would go get the _vode_ and bring them back to the Temple. I had this idea that Initiates and Cadets would grow up together, that Padawans would train under their Masters and Cadets under their _ori'vode_ , and that those who got sent to the ServiceCorps could join their battalions as regular soldiers, with MediCorps members training under the Medics and ExploraCorps replacing the navigators from the Navy, and we would all be together. 

  
"Do no- do not laugh. I know it is naïve and stupid-"

  
"It is neither naïve nor stupid, _Arl'ika_. It is hopeful. And honest to the _Ka'ra_ , it would have been one of the best ideas available, if it had been possible to do. I wish it had been possible."

  
There had been a pause, and if Jango had not been confused before, he certainly was after what Arla said, "Everything we do is killing them, you know."

  
"Not being born is not the same as being killed."

  
"Tell my heart that statement."

  
"When I find a way to tell my own, I will."

  
Jango speaks Basic nearly as naturally as _Mando'a_. He understood each of those words individually. Contextually, however, he had and has no idea what the pair were discussing. 

  
The Jedi had an Army recently? They fought with it in a war against the Sith recently? What?

  
He hopes his Jedi are not so broken that they are hallucinating things, and he makes a note to talk to them about the conversation soon. They can afford many things, but secrets are not amongst them. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Italicized words are Mando'a, whether they are written in English or Mando'a.

Jango reads through the document on his datapad once, then twice, just to make sure he understands it. The words are simple to read, and that simplicity is what is worrying. Surely the teachings of the Jedi are supposed to be more complicated? Ben and Arla had sent Jango and Kanvined of their basic philosophy this morning, which Jango decides to read once more just to be positive he has not missed anything:

 ** _Be'Jetiise Bajur_ (The Teachings of the Jedi/The Jedi Code)**  
 _Aal, su naak_ (Emotion, yet peace).  
 _Utree'karta, su kar'tayl_ (Ignorance, yet knowledge).  
 _Sheresh'atin, su udesla_ (Passion, yet serenity).  
 _Dar'ke'gyce, su borari'tome_ (Chaos, yet harmony).  
 _Kyr'am, su An'keliroya_ (Death, yet the Force).  
 _Be'Jetiise Bajur, su Resol'nare_ (The Teachings of the Jedi, yet the Six Actions).

  
 ** _Resol'nare_ (The Six Actions)**  
 _Bajur bal beskar'gam_ (Education and armor).  
 _Aranov bal joha_ (Self-defense and language, specifically Mando'a).  
 _Aliit bal Mand'alor_ (Clan and King).  
 _An vencuyan mhi_ (All help us survive). 

  
**_Ashi Bajure_ (Other Teachings)**  
 _Nu'Jeti nari par kaysh dral ra waadas a oya'kari kar'tayl bal suvar_ (A Jedi does not act for personal power or wealth but seeks knowledge and enlightenment).   
_Jeti draar nari par or'parguur, a'den, chaab, ra verd'yc, a nari tion'tuur udesla bal sha naak ti An'keliroya_ (A Jedi never acts from hatred, anger, fear, or aggression, but acts when calm and at peace with the Force).  
 _Jetiise cabure be naak o'r oyu_ (Jedi are guardians of peace in the galaxy).  
 _Jetiise primmu kaysh kot aranar bal cabuor, draar jurkadir ashise_ (Jedi use their powers to defend and protect, never to attack others).   
_Jetiise ijaa'tayli cuyi, o'r an par'ise_ (Jedi respect life, in any form).   
_Jetiise gaa'tayli ashise; nu'val shebe jaon val, par jate be'oyu_ (Jedi serve others rather than ruling over them, for the good of the galaxy).  
 _Jetiise gotal'ur kays jate'shya adol kar'tayl bal bajur_ (Jedi seek to improve themselves through knowledge and training).

~*~  
Ben sits ramrod straight in the chair, his helmet and hands in his lap. He is nervous-hopeful, and it churns in his gut. He and Arla are excited to start this new Temple, perhaps too excited. They were only approached with the idea of educating Force Sensitives two days ago. The should have taken more time to prepare their plans for the Temple, to let Jango and his advisors truly consider the concept first. Better, they should have simply agreed to teach the Force Sensitives how to control their gift and left it at that. They overstepped, certainly. He opens his mouth to apologize, but Jango begins speaking, so he snaps it shut. Ben's eyes fall to his hands, waiting for the reprimand to come.  
It does not.

  
Jango's voice is laced with confusion when he speaks, _"Just how much did you simplify your teachings for me?"_

  
_"We have not, ner Mand'alor. Those are the teachings as they are written and translated... The only change we made was to add the line "Be'Jetiise Bajur su Resol'nare," which we did because we felt, well, we felt that Mando Jetiise would be more comfortable being **Mando** Jetiise."_

  
_Jango seems to consider that statement before asking, "Then why does it take so long to become Masters in your Order?"_

  
_"The Code is simple to write, but it is difficult to live. Combined with the necessary training to utilize the Force, along with lessons in healing or negotiations and such, it does take time to learn."_

  
Jango nods in understanding. In many ways, the Code was not that different of a concept when compared to the _Resol'nare_ , even if the actual content differed. He still had a few questions, however, mostly because he does not want his people being bound by or to anything without proper knowledge. _"Your Code says, aal su naak. Why then do people say the Jedi are emotionless?"_

  
_"As part of the Ruusaan Reformation, the Code was altered slightly, but it was made much stricter. It now reads, "There is no emotion, there is peace." This interpretation is the most commonly taught within the Order today, but there is a large minority, even those who are not truly Orthodox, who prefer the original Code, ner Mand'alor."_

  
_"They altered your Code?"_

  
_"Elek, ner Mand'alor."_

  
_"Why?"_

  
_"For many reasons, most of which are now lost to us, after the Sith War, the Jedi Order decided we needed to be stricter with ourselves. Many modern scholars believe that the reasoning was that, without the constant reminder of what Falling would cost us, we would lose our sense of self-discipline."_

  
_"Uh-huh."_

  
_"I do not understand it either, ner Mand'alor, which is why Arla and I intend to follow the Orthodox methods, as closely as we can."_

  
_"I see, so you did not change the wording from Republic to galaxy?"_

  
_"Nayc, ner Mand'alor. Jedi are meant to serve the galaxy as a whole, not just the Republic. It is a distinction which has been lost over time, to our own detriment."_ Jango raises his eyebrows, so Ben continues, _"For just one example, the kad'au is supposed to symbolize a member of the Jedi Order, from Initiate to Master and all in-between. It is not supposed to matter whether one sits on the High Council or does repairs on the maintenance droids, a Jedi is supposed to be symbolized by their kad'au._

  
_"Over time, however, the kad'au has been falsely conflated to being a representative of the Galactic Republic. As such, when Initiates are sent to the Jedi ServiceCorps, they are forced to hand over their kad'au because they are no longer seen as 'the right sort of Jedi.'_

  
_"However, this policy only exists on Coruscant and Corellia as neither Altair nor Jedha have age limits upon when one can be taken as a Padawan. As we will also have no such policy, aging-out is not a concern our students will face."_

  
_"Mandalore is not part of the Republic."_

  
_"Nayc, ner Mand'alor, nu'bic."_

  
_"If kad'au are seen as being symbols of representatives of the Republic, we have two issues: one, people may falsely think **our** Jetiise are representatives of the Republic, and two, when these people realize they are not, they may try to take their kad'au'ise."_

  
_"Elek, ner Mand'alor. Those are real issues, and I will be honest when I say that we have little idea of how to address them. The only comfort I can give is that this far in the Outer Rim, and especially within the Mandalorian sector itself, there are likely to be few members of the Jedi Order, much less those interacting with us willingly._

  
_"Hopefully, it will not be too long before we are established enough to be able to make contact with the Temple on Coruscant, after which we should have fewer misunderstandings, although we will need to stress our position as a non-Republic Temple."_

  
_"Is that allowed, being a non-Republic Temple, I mean?"_

  
_"Elek, it is not favored, but it is allowed."_

  
_"So, what exactly do we have to do for you to create a Temple here, especially if we are not going to contact Coruscant, and why are we not, by the way? I mean, I would rather involve them as little as possible, but I will not allow it to be done to the detriment of our people."_

  
_"Arguably any Jedi down to the Initiates but certainly any Jedi Knight or Master has the... authority, if you will, to start a Jedi Temple. They need no permission, but most do at least inform the Temple of their training of their intentions. Few do so, however, even if they have an issue with the Order._

  
_"Being recognized, however, is another issue. I do not know exactly what it entails because I have never had need to do so. Waiti_ _ng seems best, though, at least until we have our methods established and have raised a few Knights and even Masters. At least that way, we will have proof our methods work, proof we are a **Jedi** Temple. _

  
_"I apologize for the lack of clarity regarding the details, ner Mand'alor. We will, of course, refrain from starting the Temple until we have greater information, if you wish it."_

  
_"To be honest, I would prefer you start training as soon as possible and deal with the paperwork as you can. I do not care if the Temple is 'official' in the eyes of Coruscant or not. I only really care that it is a Jedi Temple because that seems to be important to you, Arla, and Shmi. Elek, I have hopes that having a Jedi Temple will over time start healing the relationship between our people and the Jedi, but I am not counting on it."_

  
Jango took a breath before asking, _"Slightly off topic, ner ori'vod, but what are we supposed to do for crystals for the kad'au?"_ It is likely the only piece of administration regarding the Temple which Jango truly cared about getting through at all. Oh, the Code was interesting to learn, of course, but Jango trusts Ben and Arla to teach. He does not need to be concerned about their curriculum, only that they have the resources they need.

  
 _"It depends, ner Mand'alor. Dantooine is a potential option, but it depends largely upon whether or not the Jedi still have a base there."_ The enclave there was abandoned some time before the Clone War, but neither Ben nor Arla knew exactly when. _"Adega is another option, especially the asteroids. I know the Order largely abandoned the area about five centuries ago, but it is still visited with some regularity. There is Mygeeto, but it controlled by the Banking Clans, and I do not know what they ask in return or how tight-lipped they would remain._

  
 _"Our best options are likely Halm, a mining planet in the Mid-Rim. It is non-Republic, and while the locals have no love of Jedi, they have historically been friendly with Mandalore,"_ and the Sith. _"They may not speak with us at all as Jedi, but they would likely listen to the Mand'alor himself. Again, though, I know not what they would ask for in return._

  
_"The last option is, well, it is our most likely option and the one Arl'ika and I would like to avoid most because of its connotations..."_

  
_"What is it?"_ It is not Krayt Dragon Pearls, Jango knows, even though they could make a _kad'au_. Killing a Krayt Dragon would be one of the quickest ways to assure Shmi's wrath, and he knows several far less painful ways to commit suicide, thank you very much.

  
_"Synthetic crystals, ner Mand'alor."_

  
_"Kriff."_

  
_"Indeed."_

  
The thing is, they could create synthetic crystals on Mandalore more easily than most. After all, Mandalore had long been an ally of the Sith, who favored the created stones to their naturally-grown counterparts. MandalMotors likely still has the instructions for their creation on file. The planet itself can probably provide everything they will need. Still... Ben is right. The connotations are unfavorable to say the least.

  
 _"We will thoroughly explore all options, but I will have MandalMotors begin searching their archives just in case. This Temple is going to be a Mandalorian one, after all. Our own history and practices should not be ignored,"_ Jango says with confidence he does not feel. 

  
They are likely already kriffing this Temple's chance at being a proper one, but he thinks they are giving it a fighting chance. He can only hope they are not also giving it the battle to fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Blue_Sunshine for helping me fine-tune the Code (and providing the word I used for the Force, which is their creation, not mine). 
> 
> In this story, Mandalore did not join the Republic until after the New Mandalorians took control, meaning that, in this timeline, they are still fully independent and will likely remain that way.
> 
> According to Legends, a lot of Sith made synthetic crystals, but not all did so and not all those who wielded synthetic crystals were Sith. For example, Luke's second lightsaber (the green one) had a synthetic crystal. If the Mandos really do want to keep a low profile, it might just be the best idea.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All things in italics are Mando'a, whether they are written in Mando'a or English.

"Synthetic crystals, _Buir_ , really?" Arla asks, clearly unamused.

  
"I know it is not ideal, _Arl'ika._ "

  
"Ideal? _Buir_ , the Council might order an attack before we even have time to speak with them."

  
Shmi interrupts, " _Buir, Ba'Buir_ , what is the problem with synthetic crystals?"

  
"They are typically used by the Sith," Arla answers.

  
"Yes, but Adi Gallia used one, and she had a seat on the Council."

  
"Not yet, _Buir_ ," and Shmi ignores that statement, one of a few odd ones they make, "and she has the distince advantage of not being Mandalorian!"

  
"What is wrong with being Mandalorian?" Shmi is confused. Being somebody is difficult in ways she never expected. She had never once thought that free people were anything but equal when she was a slave. She was quickly cured of that mistake.

  
 _Be'baji'buir_ answers her, "It is old politics, _Shmi'ka_. Mandalore has been at odds with the Republic and the Jedi Order since before the former actually existed. They are quick to jump to conclusions when we are involved," he tries not to think of Galidraan, of all the suffering which came because of the one time Yan Dooku actually decided to act like the Republic dog so many accused the Jedi of being. "Given Mandalore's history, especially the Mandalorian tradition of allying with the Sith, the Order and the Republic may see our _kad'au_ and jump to conclusions, especially given their make and color."

  
Arla continues, "Darksiders, especially the Sith, favor synthetic crystals as they believe that relying on naturally grown crystals is 'primitive'. This belief, however, came later. They were first forced to use synthetic crystals because Jedi took control of nearly every location they naturally occur. Some of the few places with the proper stones to create _kad'au'ise_ which are not under Jedi 'protection' are Mygeeto, Halm, and the Krayt Dragon Pearls of Tatooine. 

  
"Darksiders also typically favor red stones, even when they are not synthetic."

  
"Synthetic crystals are naturally red in color," Ben adds.

  
"Yes, and although the color can be altered during the meditations to create the crystals, we will need practice to do so because we have no experience with it. Jedi are typically chosen by our crystals and have their color revealed to us after we make our _kad'au_."

  
"Oh," Shmi says, "Oh. What you mean is that they will see our _kad'au_ and make assumptions without asking any questions."

  
" _Elek_ , exactly."

  
"Is that not against the Jedi ways?" From what Shmi has been taught, Jedi are supposed to be extremely cautious before taking any action, but especially a combative one. They had all meditated upon it several times after the Battle of Keldabe; they still are.

  
"Yes, but even the most ardent believers in the Code are overcome with fear when faced with the Sith, or the prospect of one," Ben says. "In all liklihood, they would ignore the evidence of a true Sith's return for their fear," they had, for a decade, "but they would likely see evidence where it suits them," Galidraan, Yam'rii, Ahsoka, and even himself come to mind.

  
He had long ago forgiven the Council for its actions after his 'fight' with Bruck, for sending him to the AgriCorps. In the long run, he had told himself, it may have been the Force's way of ensuring he became a Knight. After all, if he was not on Bandomeer with Qui-Gon, how would Master Qui-Gon have learned he was suitable to being a Jedi? 

  
Then, years later, they had cast Ahsoka out of the Order without a proper investigation. They had all but declared her a war-criminal. She was a child, when they threw her out, and they did not ensure she had a proper guardian, did not make any arrangements for her at all. 

  
After that, Ben had been curious regarding the amount of children they sent away on false accusations, but he had no time to investigate it during the war. Now, now Ben is angry, and he finds he can not release it into the Force. He has been given a chance to change things, but he keeps being hit with the sense that, in large part, the Order was orchestrating its own demise without the influence of the Sith. How do you save someone who keeps shooting themselves with a blaster?

~*~

Jango and Shmi are enjoying a few rare moments where neither has any duties except to look after _Ob'ika_. Their littlest one is trying to walk, and the teenlings are happy to watch him. 

  
_"I think maybe they had a shared Vision, Jan'vod."_

  
_"Is that something that can happen?"_

  
_"I do not know, but they can walk up nothing but air and heal wounds with a touch. It seems as likely as anything else that they could share a Vision."_

  
_"True. I mean, what else is there? Time travel?"_

  
_"Now you are being ridiculous."_

  
_"Probably... but, Shmi, what do you think they saw?"_

  
_"I can not say because I do not know, but whatever it was, it is bad, Jango. It is horrible."_

  
_"But they will not tell us anything."_

  
_"Nayc."_

  
_"Then how do we stop it from happening?"_

  
_"We trust in the Force, and we catch as many slip-of-the-tongues as possible until they feel they can start telling us something."_

  
_"That idea sounds boring."_

  
_"Do you have a better one?"_

  
_"Nayc..."_

  
_"Then shut up about mine."_

  
_"Oy, I am the Mand'alor, you can not tell me to shut up,"_ he laughs.

  
 _"Are you forgetting that I was just as involved in you getting that title as you were?"_ Shmi taunts back at him.

  
 _"Never, vod. Never,"_ he says soberly.

  
_"What is wrong, Jango?"_

  
_"I just... I can not help but shake this feeling that something bigger is at stake here, Shmi. I feel like something big is going to happen, but I do not know what, and I have no idea what to do."_

  
_"You are the Mand'alor. You lead our people to victory and safety. You do not stop until they have both."_

  
_"You have a lot of faith in me."_

  
_"I have seen you stay up for three straight days making sure people had food and water and whatever comforts we could give while we removed their slave chips, Jang'alor. I have seen what you do to slavers. I have seen your measure as a man and a leader, Jango Fett. I know your worth, and it is more than most."_

  
Jango can think of no greater compliment to be given. Before Jango can say anything, though, Obi-Wan falls over, so he and Shmi are pulled from their conversation to comfort the redhead.

~*~

Arla meditates. She has a lot to meditate on these days, and even though synthetic crystals are amongst the least of her worries, that is what she chooses to focus one. If she learned one thing during the war, it is that sometimes, you need to focus on the small things to free your mind to work on the big ones.

  
Synthetic crystals are not wrong on their own. Just like natural crystals, their problems come from what they are made to do. That the Sith used them does not make them wrong any more than the Sith's use of cybernetics and prosthetics made those devices wrong. Crystals are more than tools, yes, of course, but the sentiment remains the same: what some are forced to do does not mean that is what all of them must do.

  
 **They are unnatural** , her mind whispers in a voice not so unlike Madam Nu's. **My men were created in a laboratory, and they were the best this galaxy ever had to offer** , Arla counters.

  
**They were instruments of the Sith.**

  
**Not by their own choice.**

  
**They betrayed you all.**

  
**They will not do so this time. We will be there when they are created.**

  
Maybe the Force knows whether Arla means the crystals or the clones because she does not. 

~*~

Ben smiles weakly at the new paint on his helmet. It is a claw-like curve and slash above the T-vsior, then a jag turned into a longer inwards curve beneath it. Cody's scar, scorched into Ben's helmet and then painted.

  
Revenge is not a Jedi custom. As such, gold has no place on a Jedi's armour. The scar still shines with it. 

  
Arla had repainted her _beskar'gam_ a few days ago. It is crisp white with no decoration. He half expects her to trade her robes in for blacks, or at least black robes. Remembrance and justice, people will see, but, oh, they will not, **can not** know the half of it. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all!  
> This chapter is a lot less dialogue than has been in the past few chapters. Following the same pattern, however, what is in italics is Mando'a.  
> I actually use some Mando'a in this chapter, but I do not know if it is quite right. If anyone has corrections, please let me know!

Ben kneels on a soft cushion in front of the geological compressor. The cushion's blue color is not so different than his _kad'au_ , and Ben tries to put it from his mind. He needs to ignore his old blade for the moment.

  
In all honesty, Ben does not truly need a new _kad'au_. He and his blade are still well-bonded, if perhaps a bit less in-sync than they used to be. It is nothing a long meditation will not mend, he is sure.

  
He is, however, the only Jedi Master for several systems, and crystal forging is not a simple task, no matter how precise the science is. As such, it is his responsibility to learn the process, so he can properly guide others. He wishes they had better resources - or truly any resources - for what he is supposed to do.

  
He has decided to try reciting the Crystal Code while it is forming. It is traditionally recited by a Padawan's Master while the Padawan constructs their _kad'au_ , but when needs must improvisation prevails. If nothing else, he had a pleasant evening with Shmi while they translated the Code from Basic to _Mando'a_.

  
When the machine is turned on, Ben closes his eyes and slips into meditation, reciting the mantra with that sort of careless ease of one who speaks not the language of their cradle but of their heart, " _Meshurok kar'ta par kal_ (The crystal is the heart of the blade). _Kar'ta meshurok par Jetii_ (The heart is the crystal of the Jedi). _Jetii meshurok par An'keliroya_ (The Jedi is the crystal of the Force). _An'keliroya kal par kar'ta_ (The Force is the blade of the heart). _An tome_ (All are intertwined). _Haar meshurok, haar kal, haar Jetii_ (The crystal, the blade, the Jedi). _Gar solus_ (You are one)." Over and over he repeats it, first for one day, then for two.

~*~

Jango has heard of Jedi meditating for days, but he had never really believed it. Most sentients need to sleep, eat, rehydrate, and relieve themselves. Jedi were exempt from these basic functions, it seems. 

  
Jango does not think this sort of behavior is healthy, and his Jedi are not going to indulge in it often. He can, however, see some benefits, such as if they were pinned down by the enemy for a few days without adequate resources. Still, he will not be mentioning it to them.

  
After all, not only is Jango sure Ben and Arla know of this use already, he does not want to be misconstrued as supporting this reckless disregard for their health. They certainly do not need a cheering section to encourage them.

~*~

When Jaster is finally able to get out of the kriffing Medic Center, he goes to his son's office immediately. He loves the boy, and he respects him, Jaster does. But it is one thing to adopt a couple of very-clearly-Mando-maybe-Jedi and their child, and it is another thing to give them permission to start a kriffing Jedi Temple on Mandalore! 

  
One of those things is worth maybe a couple of raised eyebrows, and the other is inviting the Order to come to their doorstep. His son is not that stupid. Jaster needs to know exactly what he thinks he is doing.

~*~

Arla has decided that Shmi will need one of the synthetic crystal. After all of this time, her _jet'ika_ is only politely amicable with her blade. It is unsurprising to Arla. 

  
From what she has heard, Qui-Gon Jinn was a great Jedi and a not-so-good man. Shmi, Arla knows, has the potential to be a great Jedi, but, more important to her core, she is a good woman. The two could share a crystal about as well as a Mandalorian and a Parmathean could share a ship. 

  
Given what they had, however, Jinn's _kad'au_ was better than Anakin's. Neither Ben nor Arla want to know what it means if Shmi bonds with her son's crystal. The implications... well, Arla knows her _Buir_ had intended to give Luke the _kad'au_ _,_ but she had been hesitant. 

  
For all their health, Arla thinks it is likely best if they seal all of their old _kad'au'ise_ in a box of _beskar_ \- and maybe phrik, just to be positive - and bury it deep into the sands of the desert. 

~*~

As part of her lessons, Shmi "studied" one classical composer each term. Mostly, her studies of the composers are left to listening to the artists work, often while doing other lessons, and sometimes learning to play some of their simpler pieces on the _bes'bev_. Normally, she enjoys these lessons. As a slave, such high culture was far above her, and as Gardulla has greater interests in podracing than Rylothi ballet, Shmi had never had exposure to it. Shmi takes comfort in the Alderaanian waltzes, not because they made her 'sophisticated' but because simply being allowed to listen to them reminds her she is free.

  
Today, however, she can not focus on the sweet music. She can not focus on anything. _Be'Baji'buir_ has been meditating with the growing crystal for three days now. At most, the process is supposed to take four days. Shmi is growing worried, and she knows not what to do with it. 

~*~

There are no instructions for knowing when the crystal is complete, which baffled the scientists at MandalMotors but comforted Ben and Arla. Perhaps growing crystals was not so different than seeking them after all. Perhaps the Force will guide them here as well.

  
Midway through the third day, Ben exits his meditation. When he opens the door on the geological compressor, he finds a perfectly-formed crystal which sings to him in a way his kyber crystal had not. There is only one issue: the crystal is deep red, only relieving into the darkest blood orange core when turned a certain way into the light.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just want to say thanks for being patient with me with the worldbuilding and such. I know the story is moving a little slow, but getting things established is essential to the plot. 
> 
> Regarding why they went ahead and started growing crystals instead of looking more closely at Mygeeto or Halm, the reasons will likely be addressed in the coming chapters, but it mostly boils down to the group not trusting the others not to screw them over or tell others about the new Temple.
> 
> Which brings me to another point, and that is that I want to go ahead and apologize to anyone who thinks my treatment of the Jedi is too harsh. Honestly, part of it comes from my own misgivings about how they operate, but most of what I am writing is simply Ben and Arla being in a not-good place mentally and the other Mandalorians, well, being Mandalorians. So, if you think I'm being overly critical or fundamentally wrong about the Jedi, I'm sorry, but this interpretation is kind of what this story needs right now.
> 
> On a brief aside, for those who are interested in such things, I rely a lot more heavily on Legends than Canon for inspiration and information. Even when I have to do research on Wookiepedia, I still look at Legends first. For example, I did my research on the Jedi Code through Legends, which is where I came across the Crystal Code. This isn't really relevant to anything, but I thought I would share in case anyone was curious. 
> 
> I will also address this in the story, but jet'ika (lit. little Jedi) -thank you, avenginginsanity fir correcting my misspelling! - may be the Mando'a word for Padawan going forward. There will likely be specific designations for each path (Guardian, Sentinel, and Guardian-Healer), but jeti'ika will likely be the standard, catch-all term. 
> 
> Finally, thank y'all for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everything in italics is Mando'a whether written in English or Mando'a.

"All right, Buir, do you want to try another time?" Arla asks, worrying her lip. A color is not wrong, she reminds herself, thinking of perseverence and duty. 

  
_"Nayc, Arl'ika,"_ Ben says. "It feels right, even it does not look as we think it should. Besides, I have yet to even construct the _kad'au_. It will likely" - hopefully - "not be nearly so..."

  
"Yeah. Okay, _Buir."_ She is utterly unconvinced, perhaps as much as he is.

  
"So, tell me, little one, where is the durasteel, so I can make a new casing? Jango said he would have pieces made."

  
"The _beskar_ is this way. I mean, did you really think _cuun Mand'alor_ was going to let _**Mando** Jetiise_ use anything else?"

  
To be perfectly honest, yes, that is exactly what Ben had thought, but he was clearly wrong. Perhaps if things were not going so well against _Kyr'staad_ , if they had not reclaimed the mines on Concordia, then Jango would not have been able to give them such an expensive gift. Then again, his _Mand'alor_ seems intent on ensuring that not only are the members of the Mandalorian Jedi Temple Mandalorian, he also seems intent on making sure that this attempt does not fail for lack of resources. Ben can only hope they do not waste these resources.

  
"In that case, will you lead the way, _ner Jet’ika_?"

  
"Always, _Buir_. Always."

~*~

Jaster Mereel is not sure if his son has lost his kriffing mind or if he is an absolute genius. For the moment, he is content to cautiously assume the latter. _"What you are telling me is that cuun Jetiise volunteered to start a Temple here?"_

  
_"Elek, Buir."_

  
" _And you agreed?"_

  
 _"I think that much is obvious, Buir,"_ Jango snarks back, one of the few times he has ever been less-than-polite with his father.

  
Jaster ignores his tone for the moment, _"What angle are you working at with this thing?"_

  
Jango sighs, _"Honestly, Buir, at first I was only trying to save our kids. You know how many the Force steals from us. How many children do you think we have lost in the last millennia now that the Sith are gone and no longer able to train them? We need help, and if it comes from the Jedi, then that is a trade I am willing to risk._

  
_"But these are cuun Jetiise, as you pointed out just then. They are ours. They are Mando. The risk is minimal on our end, and the reward is great._

  
_"And besides, I have seen their teachings. The philosophies they intend to teach, they are even more in agreement with the beliefs of Mandalore than the Sith's."_

  
_"Kanvined showed me, and I agree that, on flimsi, it all seems fine. But what happens when Coruscant comes in here and starts changing things?"_

  
_"Ben and Arla have less respect for Coruscant than you or I, Buir."_ Jaster gives Jango an unimpressed look, so Jango adds, _"Look, Buir, I have little idea what has happened there, but the two of them... they seem to respect most Jedi individually, but they have issues with how the Order itself is run. You have not heard them talk about it. They would leave the Jedi Order before they allowed Coruscant to run things."_

  
 _"You believe that?"_ Jaster thinks his son is a fool.

  
Jango tells him what he overheard, although he leaves the details regarding the troops even vaguer than what he knows. He trusts his father, of course, but Jango wants to know more before he brings it up to the older man.

  
Jaster grinds his teeth. Their Jedi is a good man, even when the cost to himself is severe. Those are hard to come by. Jaster can not help but trust him now.

  
Still, though, as much as Jango might want to avoid the paperwork, they need to have ironclad agreements and rules and the like created and cemented long before those damn Core-bred Senate hounds find out about them.

~*~

Ben, Arla, and Shmi are sitting at a long table filled with parts and pieces. "Are you sure you do not need a schematic, _Be'Baji'buir_?" Shmi asks.

  
"No, young one. Building a _kad'au_ is... precise but not exactly something which can be written. The process is different each time for each person as we are all different, and our needs are different."

  
Shmi looks at him as if he is being purposefully difficult.

  
"Look at it this way, _Shmi'ka,_ a _kad'au_ is capable of cutting through durasteel like flimsi. If it pierces directly, a powerful enough _kad'au_ can even cut through _beskar_. This weapon is inarguably one of the most powerful in the galaxy. It is perhaps better for us all if we rely on the Force for guidance rather having instructions around, so that even the Hutts can build one."

  
She nods at that fact, internally shuddering at the idea of Gardulla with a _kad'au_. 

  
"And the words you say?"

  
"Jedi bond with our crystals. If we find them in nature, they call to us. If they are created, we give them their power. Either way, Jedi share a bond with our crystals and our blades as a whole. Reminding ourselves of this fact is... necessary some times."

  
She nods. 

  
Ben begins speaking again, the same words as before, " _Meshurok kar'ta par kal_ (The crystal is the heart of the blade)..." 

  
Shmi watches with wide eyes as his hands begin to move towards pieces even with his eyes closed. 

~*~

Jango sighs in relief when Jaster finally leaves. Buir can be quite adament, when he wants to be. It serves them well in the field, of course, but it is almost counter to what Jango needs now. He is the Mand'alor. He had offered the title to his buir, and his buir had insisted it was Jango's right. As such, while Jango welcomes his advice, he needs to let Jango make his choices about how things will be done, especially where the Jetiise are concerned. 

  
He sighs, scrubbing his hands over his face. The only real point Jaster has that Jango does not disagree with is asking about what sort of work those in the AgriCorps are capable of doing, how much training they need. Jango is willing to pay the _Jetiise_ for the work, of course, although he imagines Ben and Arla will try to insist the _kad'au_ crystals and the like are payment enough. He does not look forward to that arguments, but if Jango can get part of the land healed, turned capable of growing crops, his people will be far more secure, far less dependent upon outsiders. 

~*~

Ben slides the last component into place, the ignites his kad'au with a reverent but hesitant touch. It is still red, but the orange is brighter. He slips off of the stool and moves into a Shii-Cho stance, moving through the first kata. The blade looks like flame as it moves. It looks like Mustafar; it looks like the armour of the 212th; it looks like the flames of Qui-Gon's pyre. 

  
It is a reminder, Ben sees now, of all he has lost, of all for which he has to fight. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter did not turn out quite the way I had hoped, but it did turn out better than I expected.  
> We should be out of the world-building phase pretty soon, and we can get to the action.
> 
> The Code Ben recites is the Crystal Code from Wookiepedia.
> 
> And I just want to give a heads up that some of the things said about the Jedi Order in the coming chapters might be /uncomfortable/. This fic is not about Order bashing, but they have certain practices with which I disagree (namely taking lightsabers away from members, forcing people into the ServiceCorps as children, and (unintentionally) treating the ServiceCorps as lesser when they are actually pretty kriffing cool). These issues will be addressed in the story.  
> I also have plans for OCs because, quite frankly, there are not many Legends/Canon characters who can really fit the role of a Mandalorian Jedi. I hope that does not turn y'all off of the story.  
> I'm debating whether or not to bring in Xanatos and Komari. Part of me likes the idea that maybe seeing all of the skills the Mando Temple teaches will make them think better of Falling. I don't know. 
> 
> If y'all have any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, or statements of hatred, please feel free to drop me a comment. I always try to reply.


	9. Chapter 9

It takes Arla about two days to create her crystal. It is purple, darkening as it moves to the center. When she makes her _kad'au_ , the blade starts as the lightest lavender and fades to pure black.

  
Mourning and justice.

  
The hilt looks as "regulation" as a _kad'au_ ever can, and she paints it clean white and black. At the top, she makes one 'allowance.' In the sharp, dagger-like strokes of _Mando'a_ , she paints, _Buirkan_ \- Responsibility. On a blade, a word has meaning. Responsibility is a very Jedi trait, a Mando one too.

  
The word is pointless, however, in itself. 

  
Arla had served as Commander of the _Responsibility_ throughout the Clone War. 

  
Her blade is not simply a dedication to her faith, to her culture, and to the people she has lost.

  
It is a declaration of war.

~*~

Shmi spends nearly the whole four days in meditation while her crystal forms. When the process is finished, her throat is as dry as the heat of Tatooine. Her crystal matches it: orange fading to yellow, the exact shades of Tatooine's suns. 

  
It hums contentedly when she ignites it. This blade would never have to be forced by her hand because it is as much part of her as her own arm. It will sing whether she takes it.   
She can only hope and pray that she does not take it too far down the wrong path.

~*~

The new lightsabers entrance Obi-Wan, and Jango makes a note to ask about baby-proofing them. Maybe _Obi'ka_ should stay with Jango until he is old enough for one, right here in Jango's lap. 

  
"Would you like that, little one?" Jango asks. "Huh? Do you want to stay here with _Jango'vod_?"

  
Obi-Wan giggles, and Jango rewards him with a kiss to the forehead before turning his focus back to the reports before him. They had raided a _Kyr'staad_ base last night, and the splicers are working through the data now, sending it to Jango as they unsealed it. 

  
It appears there is a base on Concordia which the local Journeyman Protectors are guarding. From what they have been able to piece together, it seems like the last true stronghold of the _Kyr'staad._ Jango wants to attack within two weeks, before they have time to find a new base and relocate. 

~*~

Ben has returned to their little farm, mostly to gather clothing and other supplies, but he wants to check the fields and Agri's readings. He is hoping they will only need one Force-grown cover crop. Oh, he knows they will likely need about three years of nothing but cover crops before they can begin to grow food, but the more they have to coax to life with the Force, the longer it will take before they can use the land because it means it is still not healed enough to support life. 

  
The readings from Agri are hopeful. The little droid is happy to do its work, communicating in a whir of binary which Ben widely does not understand. He grasps enough to understand that Agri has a few suggestions for them, but he misses enough to understand that he will have to read the report. 

  
Ben checks the greenhouses and sees much of it is ripe. He sends a comm to the Palace that he will not return tonight. There is too much work to do here, and, no, he does not need help. Ben works on the harvest for most of the day, letting the Force and Agri guide him to what needs picking. There is no use in letting it waste, and Jango has opened the Palace to enough people that it will surely be eaten there. He leaves the lettuces and such for tomorrow, though, as they will wilt the quickest. 

  
Taking everything to the Red Kettle is enough work that Ben forgives himself a long shower and a hot cup of tea. He packs up nearly every datapad they have before heading to bed. Something tells Ben that they will not be spending much time at home until they get the Temple at least partially constructed, and they will get more work done if they have what they need with them.

~*~

Atin does not like the city. There are two many people, and it is too loud. He wants to know when his family is going back home. But... as long as Jango keeps _Obi'ka_ happy and safe and keeps scratching Atin's ear just. like. that. he supposes they can stay.

~*~

On Concordia, Pre Vizla kneels before a hologram in horror. "My Lord?" he ~~asks~~ begs quietly. 

  
"I must apologize, young Vizla," the hooded figure says, "but there is nothing I can do. The _Kyr'staad_ were my warriors. I wish you well, young one, and I wish things were different, but I have not the resources to help you."

  
The thirteen-year-old ducks his head, "I understand, my Lord. I apologize for our failure." 

  
"I do as well," says the figure before the hologram flickers dead.

  
The Sith have abandoned the _Kyr'staad._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all!
> 
> I am pulling a lot of the farming stuff out of my rear from some pretty low-level research. If I screwed anything up too badly (not just about farming but anything) let me know. Your author is not perfect. 
> 
> I already had the colors picked for Arla and Shmi's lightsabers, but lorna suggested that maybe all of the Mando Jetiise could have red as the base color of their lightsabers since they are synthetic, and I quite liked it. Not only does it fit with the synthetic crystals, but red-based colors will likely suit a desert planet better than colors such as blue or green, which I find to be icy, like Illum. What do y'all think about this idea going forward?


	10. Chapter 10

Atin wiggles happily when Ben comes back in the morning. He does not like it when his family is not together. What if they get lost? They can not smell as good as he can. They may not find each other again. 

  
He would be sad if he lost Ben. Ben is their leader, even though he lets Jango think he is. He also gives the best belly rubs. Yes, Atin needs to make sure Ben understands he can not just leave again. 

  
He hikes his leg to pee on Ben's boot, but Ben must be able to tell Atin is upset because the man gives him a big piece of jerky from the pack on his shoulder. Well, as long as Ben as learned his lesson, Atin will leave him be. 

  
He does not want to risk peeing on the jerky after all.

~*~

Jaster Mereel hates the Jedi. He does. He is a Mandalorian, and he hates the Jedi, and for a long time there were no caveats to that statement.

  
He has accepted the fact that there are exceptions to that truth now. He would kill for Arla or Shmi just as quickly as he would for Jango. He would die to keep _Obi'ka_ safe. He would consider it an honor to fall in battle beside Ben. 

  
They are Jedi, yes, but they are family. Families are made up of all sorts of scruffy little strays, though. You can hardly take family out back and shoot them in the head for being a bit strange.

  
Dozens, hundreds, thousands of Jedi, though? All of them on Mandalore? The nerf herders have yet to even start their training yet, and Jaster is twitching towards his blaster already. Maybe he ought to stay on Concordia for a little bit after this last raid, help make sure the Journeymen Protectors and the like are sorted all right and proper. Then again, maybe if he stays, he will be able to adjust to them. 

  
And, yeah, all right, he knows these are not your regular Core-bred, Senate-boot-licking Jedi. These are Mandalorians. These are his people. 

  
He just needs some time to get his instincts to register it, all right?

~*~

Arla is doing kad'au drills with Shmi, like most days. Today, however, is a bit dfferent. They have something of an audience: over a dozen potential students for the Temple, ranging in ages barely over Obi-Wan's to almost Ben's. She supposes today's training is something of an exhibition, that what they see today will effect what they - and those they speak with - decide about training at the Temple.

  
"Shall we give them a show, Shmi?" she teases. Oh, she had loved these sorts of days as an Initiate.

"Naturally, _Baji'buir_ ," Shmi grins wickedly. She whips her _kad'au_ in a formal Makashi salute, her chin held proudly. She falls into the first stance of Makashi with grace.   
If he does not Fall, Arla is going to introduce her Padawan and Great-grandmaster, and then she is going to run to the Wild Space while the pair conquer the Galaxy.   
Arla returns the salute and slips into a Soresu stance. 

She can beat Shmi easily, and they both know it. Doing so, however, will teach nothing and show less. Arla fights just well enough to be better. The spar lasts nearly twenty minutes, and it ends only when Arla disarms Shmi and holds her own _kad'au_ to her throat.

She hands Shmi her _kad'au_ back and says, "You fight well, but you need to work on your defense, especially on the right side."

" _Elek, Baji'buir_."

"Good. Now, do you want to give a little Force demonstration as well?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"Well, I was thinking we might show some manipulation of the sand, but the view is not so good with us on the ground..." 

~*~

Shmi returns her Baji'buir's sly smile. Shadow-steps were something she had learned a few weeks ago, and while she was not as skilled with it as _Ar'Baji'buir_ or _Be'Baji'buir_ , she could certainly use it well enough to walk up ten or so feet above the small crowd and move the sand. 

  
Arla manipulates the sand with grace, and Shmi mostly tries to not mess up her display. When it ends, _Ar'Baji'buir_ bows before letting herself drop gracefully to the ground. Shmi bows too, and once Arla lands, she Shadow-walks to her side, appearing at it in an instant. 

"Good call," the elder Jedi praises quietly. "It is wise to show them a variety of skills."

"Thank you, _Baji'buir_."

  
Soon, the little crowd has them surrounded, all asking different questions which widely boil down to "Can I learn how to do that thing too?"

~*~

Ben and Jango are having a hushed conversation in the _Mand'alor_ 's office. It is the most formal meeting the pair have had since Jango earned the title. Ben kneels next to the beskar throne, in equal parts fealty and a need for privacy. Their helmets are off, and they whisper in each other's ears.

  
" _Tion gar **kar'tayli** dar'jetiise, ner Mand'alor_?" Ben asks. (Do you **know** it was the Sith, my King?)

  
" _Elek, vod. Ni ru haa'tayli holo_ ," Jango responds. (Yes, brother. I saw the Holo.)

  
Ben breathes deeply once-twice-thrice, " _Ner cuyi par ner Mand'alor. Meg gar liniba teh ni_?" (My life for my King. What do you need from me?)

  
Jango closes his eyes and nods before answering, " _Shi... ke'ba'juri cuun Jetiise jate... bal ke'jorhaa'i be ibic ti naasade_." (Just... teach our Jedi well... and speak of this with nobody.)

  
" _Elek, ner Mand'alor_."

  
It is a risk, both know because both know it is only a matter of time before the Sith return to Mandalore, expecting their loyal soldiers to return to their side. After all, what is a little bloodshed amongst such long time friends as they? And really, no matter what the _Kyr'staad_ did with the Sith's support, they amount of Mandos they killed is negligible compared to what the Jedi have done. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried out a little bit of a different way for the Mando'a. What do y'all think? I'm not quite sure.
> 
> I wanted to write a better description of the fight, but my brain was more "feels are good." I may edit that section later if my muses cooperate. 
> 
> Thank you, everyone, but especially Blue, for reading this story and encouraging me. I'm sending hugs.


	11. Chapter 11

Over the next few days, Ben examines his loyalties - in meditations and out of them, he types up lists which he deletes rather than saving, and he goes out to where even Atin can not hear his whispers. He is distressed that they are not easily placed.

  
At one point, Ben's loyalty was first, last, and only to the Jedi Order, and it only grew stronger after Melida/Daan and his year of probation. He had been dutiful and obedient. He had cut himself off from any of the few non-Order friendships he had, just to show he was truly committed to the Order. It took years, and only after Qui-Gon's prompting, for Ben to feel allowed to have friends outside of the Order again.

  
And what had happened then? He had fallen in love with Satine. He had fallen in love with her, and he was willing to leave the Order for her, but she was unwilling to ask.   
After that, Ben had guarded himself again. Other than Dex, who was a friend of Qui-Gon's more than Ben's at that point, he had once again closed his non-Order relationships. Mace - Master Windu then - had looked at him with a grim sort of approval when he discovered Ben's habit.

  
Of course, life did not remain that simple. Ben would meet people on assignments, and somehow become friendly with them. People liked him, for reasons unknown, and he liked them too.

  
Ben's greatest weakness is attachment, and it always has been.

  
**Except that is not quite true, is it, Ben?**

No, no it is not. 

  
Ben's greatest weakness is that his loyalty never truly belonged to the Jedi Order, not entirely and rarely even primarily. There was simply too much pain and rejection there for Ben to ever truly feel like he belonged. He had to carve too much out of himself to even begin to be accepted. 

  
He was the Perfect Jedi only when he was least himself.

  
Ben closes his eyes and thinks about when he felt most at home. It was on the battlefield, with Cody at his side. It was with his men onboard the Negotiator. It was with Arla, fighting off a bounty hunter or slipping slaves away from the Hutts. 

  
The truth is that Ben Naasade does not belong to the Jedi Order; he never has, and he never will. If anything, if he belongs anywhere, it is to Mandalore. And therein lies the problem. 

  
How is Ben supposed to start a Jedi Temple if he is not truly a Jedi?

  
He huffs. That statement is too far. Ben is a Jedi, even if it is not the first and foremost thing he is. And that is fine. Ben can train Mandalorian Jedi. But that is the issue, is it not?  
The Original Code neither requires nor bars fealty to any place or people. Later teachings suggested that the Jedi were to serve the whole galaxy, but they were just that - later teachings. In the pre-Reformation days, most Jedi were busy fighting the Sith to have any other loyalties. That was not true of all, however. 

  
Part of why Alderaan had such close ties to the Jedi Order, part of why they still respected the Order so highly was that, prior to the Ruusaan Reformation, nearly every Royal House of Alderaan had at least one Jedi who paid them homage. As such, the Jedi High Council really can not take issue with Mandalorian Jedi trained in an Orthodox Temple giving their loyalty to the _Mand'alor._

  
They will do so anyway, Ben knows. The Order is at present bound to the Republic, to the Senate. Having an entire sect, especially what is likely to be a large one, if interest proves fruitful, whose loyalty was owed to a veritable enemy of the Republic, is dangerous. The entire Order, perhaps especially the smaller Temples, would face tough scrutiny. The Senate will likely try to pass tougher regulations on the Order, not that anything they did would actually effect the Jedi they wanted to control. That fight is one they can prepare for with time; it is one Ben is already preparing for, albeit quietly.

  
No, there is a bigger issue at hand, however, and it is more likely to become a problem sooner: the Sith. The Jedi Order might be tied to the Republic's service now, but the Mandalorians have long been tied to the Sith's. To hear about "dutiful commanders" and "faithful servants" of the Sith is too hear about Mandalorians more often than not. 

  
House Kryze was amongst many Houses named for a Sith Lord, Satine had confessed one night. There had been some, even amongst her staunchest supporters, who saw it as a Sith's right to kill her because of her lack of allegiance to them. It had been eye-opening, although he and the others had still been too blind to ask why, then, that Jango Fett had seemingly turned traitor and helped the Jedi, created an army for them.

  
If Ben is honest, he is worried he is going to train an army for the Sith. He worries he will train Acolytes, Disciples, and Assassins. He worries about Shmi, loving, nurturing, and kind, but also hateful, prideful, and sometimes merciless. He worries she could take her son's place as the Sith's apprentice (in his nightmares, he sees her kneel before Palpatine and call him "master;" he hates himself for knowing he could not strike her down either, hates himself for knowing that if she asked him to join her that he does not know if he is strong enough to resist anymore).

  
Ben is more worried, however, that it is Jango who will turn on him, that his face will once and for all be that of a traitor (and willingly this time). He worries he will be given a choice, and Ben worries he will choose selfishly. Ben worries he will choose to serve the Sith to save Mandalore because at least then he will have done something. At least then he will have saved someone.

  
But he also knows that is not true. He and Arla purposely kept themselves ignorant of the news, but they still heard snatches. Riosa is a manufacturing planet in the Inner Rim. It had initially willingly worked for the Empire, but it had quickly turned into an Imperial slave planet in all but name. Ben would not let that fate be Mandalore's, would not let his people be made to work themselves to death mining _beskar_.

  
Nor will he let them become Death Commandos. Nobody was entirely certain who the species was or where they were from, but everyone knew of the Emperor's personal assassins. Everyone knew that, whoever they were, they must have been coerced to take such blatantly suicidal missions. 

  
Ben sighs. He is just going to have to kill the Sith before they can claim his people. And if he has to Fall to do it, well, he is going to have to make Arla swear to do her duty.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all. Sorry this chapter took a few days to get up. I rewrote it five times, and this is the best I got. 
> 
> How do y'all feel about Legends and Canon being blended like a mango-pineapple smoothie?


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi, y'all!   
> Sorry it took a couple of days to get this chapter up! I was gone most of yesterday, so I just now finished it.
> 
> Words in italics are Mando'a, whether or not they are written in Mando'a or English. phoenixdaisy very kindly sent me some code to create hovertext (thank you again!), and I am going to start using it when I get back to my laptop (today's chapter is brought to you by my cellphone).

Ben bounces the giggling baby girl in his arms and cooes. She is small and angry. Ben loves her already.

  
He had come back from his now-daily morning walk to see Shmi fussing over a new child. He suspects it will be a common experience now. After all, the _Resol'nare_ requires foundlings be raised by their Finders unless/until they could be reunited with their own people, and most Mandos would probably believe a Force Sensitive ought to be raised by other Force Sensitives. 

  
He had gently coaxed her from Shmi's arms, only for the baby girl's Force presence to nearly knock him to his knees.

  
"Ruusaan and her crew found the little on in a ship. Pirates had taken everything worth anything and killed her family, but they missed the little one. She said it seemed like the little one was called Sabine."

  
Actually, she was called Tsabin. She was called Tsabin, and in the old timeline, a Republic cruiser would have found her in nearly a week, alive by the Force's will alone. 

  
Her name was Tsabin, and she was one of his closest friends in the crèche. She had been considered "too martial" by the Masters, so she had not been taken as a Padawan. She had refused a position in the ExploraCorps and instead returned to her homeworld of Naboo. There, she had to give up her own name to properly dedicate herself to the service and protection of a young Queen Padme. She had hidden herself, her Force Signature, so well that he had not at first recognized her. Tsabin had worked with Bail against the Empire. She was cast out of the Jedi Order but still died protecting its younglings.

  
That fate would not be hers, not this time.

  
"Sabine Skywalker," he says. "She is bonded to you already, _Shmi'ka_."

  
"Bonded to me?"

"Can you feel her?"

  
Shmi nods. "She is warm. She shines, almost like the sun, but she does not burn... I can feel her almost as clearly as I can feel myself. What does it mean, _Ba'buir_?"

  
"It means the Force has brought you together. It wants you to teach her, to raise her."

  
"Me?... But, _Ba'buir_ , how can I? I can barely read, let alone teach her. I-"

  
" _Shmi'ka_ , Shmi, listen. You are intelligent and wise and loving. You could raise a child on your own if you needed to do so, but you do not. You have me, Arla, Jango, and Jaster, at the very least. We will help you raise her, but Shmi, you do not need us to help you. We will do so simply because... you are our family... and helping each other is our job."

  
"You are sure?"

  
"Yes. And anyway, there are several years left before she must begin any formal training. By that point, you will know even more than you do now. You are fine, Shmi. You will be the best _buir_ Sabine could ever want; you will be exactly what she needs."

  
"I do not know if you are right, _Be'baji'buir_ , but I hope you are."

~*~

Jango sits with Jaster in his office, the rest of his advisors having long since left. His buir asks him, "I do not want to know who funded the Death Watch, do I?"

  
" _Nayc, Buir_."

  
 _"Then do not tell me, and I will try not to learn._ " He sighs deeply, " _The little ones deserve a chance to choose their battles_."

_"They do."_

_"Listen, my son, after this mission to Concordia, I am taking the crew and heading out on the clean up mission. I do not know when we will return."_

_"We will keep a place set at the table and a bed free for you_ ," Jango says. He is worried, however. The Death Watch must be eliminated to the last supporter. Doing so, though, might just require crossing the line too far to return. 

~*~

Arla holds Sabine in her arms, happy to finally get her chance with the new baby, although even now it is under the guise of a health check. She has done the check. Sabine is in good health. She could not have been without her birth family for very long, and she was well cared for before their deaths. _Jate_. 

  
She loves the little one already. She had not known Sabe well in the time before, although they had met twice - the third did not count in Arla's opinion because she had disguised herself as Senator Amidala. Now, that woman was one Arla did not hold in any high regard, not after that meeting on Rexus.

  
Ahsoka had been a few years older than Arla, but the two had been Clanmates and friends. Ahsoka was her _ori'vod_ , as their men said, and she had taken pride in helping Arla. If they had not been at war, if she had not had people counting on her, Arla is almost certain Ahsoka's dismissal from the Order would have lead to her own resignation. 

  
As it was, Arla blames Amidala. The woman had been trusted to watch Ahsoka; Master Skywalker had hoped the Senator would help teach her some of the finer workings of politics. Instead, what did she do? She ran off with the young Padawan to Rexus for an illegal meeting with Separatists. 

  
And, in Arla's eyes, it was that meeting which made the final crack in the High Council's view of Ahsoka. It was why they did not believe her about the Temple attack. It was why they expelled her without hearing her side. It was why they had offered her up on a platter to a military tribunal. After all, she had proven she could not be trusted already. And the reason why always came back to Senator Amidala and her foolishness.

  
So, Arla is going to protect this little one. She is going to keep her safe, and she is going to help her Buir ensure she allowed to grow up into her own person, not some mimicry of another. She is going to ensure Sabine grows up far away from naïve politicians who do not understand that what they might get a slap on the wrist for doing often ends up in a death sentence for their followers. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to take a moment to address a few things:
> 
> First, Sabine is going to play a pretty big role going forward, mostly because I need a partner-in-crime for Obi-Wan. Other candidates were Siri, Quinlan, and Aayla, but they were rejected for various reasons. With Sabine, I went back-and-forth. At one point, she was supposed to be just a random former-Jedi. If I had done so, she was going to have stayed with the ExploraCorps until she was of-age, before resigning and joining the Navy. She would have been one of the best Admirals - one of the few who actually regarded the men as sentients. Her death would have come from using the Force to stop a building from collapsing long enough to evacuate it. The exhaustion would have killed her. The Jedi would have given her a Jedi pyre, which her battalion took as a slap in the face because they didn't want her before, so they should not claim her then.   
> I decided to go with Sabe instead for a few reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that I am going to have to create a /lot/ of original characters for the Mandalorian Jedi, so if I can bring in Legends/Canon characters, I will. Another big reason is that going forward, I want to play with how Ben and Arla relate to other characters, whether they be good, bad, or neutral previously. They have a chance to fix things, but they are going to have to deal with their own pasts to do so.
> 
> I also want to address a few things regarding Mando culture: a lot of it has been fudged, and a lot more will be fudged. I am going to call it "world building," and I hope y'all don't hate it. 
> 
> Thank y'all for reading! If you have any questions, comments, concerns, or statements of hatred, please let me know!


	13. Chapter 13

Shmi watches Obi-Wan and Sabine from the corner of her eye while she struggles through her geography reading. It is a description of Mandalore, written some one hundred years ago, by a visiting tradesman. It is, thankfully, written in Basic, which means she is only swearing four times a paragraph as she tries to read instead of six. She has long given up telling the babies not to repeat her.

At least they are going to be multi-lingual potty-mouths?

~*~

 ~~Tsabin~~ Sabine? isn't really sure where she is. She can't feel Papa or Mama anymore. But there's a new mama and papa, and Sabine can feel them all the time. And there's grandmama and two grandpapas, and she can feel them too. And a brother! 

He's cute! And cuddles! And when she bit him, he poked her instead of crying! 

And there's a big doggy! He's sweet and gives good kisses. 

So, no, Sabine isn't really sure where she is or where her old family is, but she loves this one a lot.

~*~

Obi-Wan snuggles with Sabine. He has no idea where she came from, but she feels like she's always been there. He's not letting anyone take her away, not even if she bites him again.

Shmi is reading a story, but he doesn't understand it. He hopes she finishes soon. He wants lunch. And poems. But mostly lunch. And a nap.

  
~*~

Atin watches the cubs closely. He has two now, Obi-Wan with his red hair like Ben, and Sabine, who is dark-haired like Shmi and Arla. They are both his most favorite people. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, y'all!
> 
> I haven't lost my inspiration for this story; my muse just ran over a decade into the future. So here's a little something while I try to steer things back on track. I hope y'all enjoy.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments on this fic are now moderated due to some readers feeling the need to start trouble with a former reader. I'm sorry to do this, but it feels necessary at this point.


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